I was sixteen when my father lost his job. Worry found me that year, stomach tight, thoughts all jumbled, and eyes dropping tears. Tension was high in our house. I hid away in my room where the “what if’s” of worry kept me prisoner, “What if we can’t buy food?” “What if I have to leave my school?” “What if he can’t find a new job?”

God often sends us grace silently, like an unexpected gift.

It could be a smile from a stranger, a needed hug from a friend, or words of thanks from a child. Sometimes it’s found in the heady scent of a flower or in seeing the sun break through the clouds. God gives us gifts in thousands of ways, including little pleasures and the things we enjoy.

Yet, sometimes grace comes as hope when it seems there was none. For me, hope came in the shape of teenage friends.

The first gift arrived in a bag of lunch. I was sitting with a friend during lunch at school and she handed me a sandwich. “What’s this for?” I asked. “My mom made an extra one” she said.

Had she noticed I hadn’t been bringing lunches to school for a while?

Every day, until my father was employed, my friend brought me a lunch her mother had packed just for me.

Just before Thanksgiving that year, another gift of hope arrived. It was Sunday evening and I heard a knock at the door. I opened it to find three kids from my youth group at church. They were carrying bags from the grocery store. They had brought us everything we would need for Thanksgiving dinner. That was a Thanksgiving meal I never forgot and probably never will.

Even when hope seems lost, He leaves a trail of gifts. Sometimes they are small, sweet treats, and other times they are much-needed provisions. Following the trail, counting the graces as they are found, leads to new-found hope.

And sometimes, it’s the unexpected graces that linger in the heart the longest.

Counting His gifts and all the unexpected ways He loves (1399-1420):

The way God provides for all our needs

Traveling with my husband while he works

Kids who are used to flying and traveling–they know the routine

Homeschooling away from home

Meeting up with a blogging friend!

Touring the Atlanta Botanical Gardens–I could have stayed for days!

My boys and my friends kids had a blast together

The beauty of God’s creation in bloom

Salad of mixed greens, figs, and blackberries

Listening to birds sing while sitting on the porch

Shrimp and grits

Visiting Legoland Discovery Center in Atl.

New legos to build

The kids discovering honeysuckles at the park and experiencing its taste for the first time

toshowthemjesus

I was only 11 when my family went through that. We had moved out of the family owned business location to make more space for the business and were living in a rented house, it is the one thing I am thankful for in all of that, we didn’t have the worry about losing our home hanging over us as well, when the business went bust. We lost so much but we didn’t have to move house.

toshowthemjesus

What great blessings you share about here! And by your testimony of grace, I am encouraged to seek out my own gifts of grace. When it is hard and there is disappointment, God still shows up and lavishes His love on us. Thank you for this… blessings to you.

LOVE this! All of it! Thank you for sharing your testimony. My husband lost his job for 7 months and I went into a freak out mode. But as always, God was faithful. We were given so much! A new van, new camera, diapers on our door step over and over. We never went without, never were hungry and all because God used His people and they listened. We had a zero dollar income for seven months and no savings, but we were given more in that time then we could have done on his income before or even now. God is amazing! He is faithful always.

toshowthemjesus

What a fabulous post! God works beautifully. Your boys are so lucky to experience places in different states! And I agree…I could’ve stayed at the Botanical Garden! I look forward to going back and taking more pics! Blessings!

toshowthemjesus

Wow. Thanks for sharing. I’ve been on both sides of that, receiving from others very timely gifts and lovelingly chosen to give the gifts. And I have to ask… that lego man, was it like in a toy store or something?? It’s huge!

toshowthemjesus

It sounds like you had a wonderful family getaway and meeting a blogging friend is just awesome. We went to Atlanta with my kids for spring break last year and had a great time. Your friend bringing you lunch every day, that really touched my heart. God loves us so much. And it reminded me of Jeanette Walls book the Glass Castle. Because you and I have some similarities in our background, I think you might like it. (It’s a memoir and she’s not a Christian but its well written)